Meghan McNulty
Millennials are often known for their socialist tendencies, voting en masse for candidates like Bernie Sanders and other progressives who rail against billionaires and the “elite class.” A billionaire female makeup entrepreneur that defines the ideals that made America a place where anyone can succeed leads this generation of millennial socialists, at least in terms of popular culture.
Kylie Jenner is one of the most important figures in contemporary American society as the youngest child of the Kardashian dynasty. While most millennials in Kylie Jenner’s situation, lifestyle, and luck would rely on their family’s money to live, Kylie instead rose to the occasion and became the youngest self-made billionaire in the world. She outsmarted the marketing game and the Hollywood media establishment on social media with her savvy entrepreneurial skills.
Kylie Jenner is also the founder and owner of Kylie Cosmetics, and owns multiple businesses across several industries. According to a CNBC article, Kylie turned a $29 lipstick into a $420 million beauty empire in 18 months, which led Forbes to name her the world’s youngest self-made billionaire ever in March 2019.
Her immense success appeals to both capitalists and socialists. Why is that?
It’s because only in America could someone ever attain the level of success that Kylie has. She became a billionaire at 23 not because of government coercion and control, but rather in spite of it. America’s individual freedoms made Kylie a millennial icon, and nobody can ignore her, even if they’re actually a socialist.
The beauty of America is that if you’re willing to rise to the occasion, you can be anything you want here. Political leaders that so many of America’s young people listen to would point to someone like Kylie Jenner and say that she was an example of unadulterated, capitalist greed. Ironically, those same young people truly look up to Kylie Jenner because they want to live a life like hers, which is simply not possible anywhere else than America.
Perhaps this is the point America’s young people are missing. Kylie Jenner would not exist in any other country, period. There would be no 23 year old self-made female billionaires like her who have shown young women that they too can break the glass ceiling.
The question then becomes what is more inspiring to a generation of young Americans. Is it more inspiring to hear Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ilhan Omar hate on America, or is it more inspiring to see a young woman like Kylie Jenner rise to the occasion? What’s right about Kylie Jenner’s success is right about America.
